Breaking Out
by Gizli
Summary: Set after 4x09 when Elena wants nothing more than to break the sire bond and prove that her feelings are the real deal. Damon did his best to free her without making her leave forever. Did it work? Warning: SMUT AHEAD!
1. Chapter 1: Sexting

_**A/N: Please, please, please, read and review. You guys make me better! Set after 4x09 as Damon and Elena split ways. Not sure yet if this will be a one shot or a longer story with its own plot; that might be largely up to my lovely readers! Let me know what you think...**_

_**And, of course, I own nothing!  
**_

* * *

Elena stopped and stood beside Bonnie's car, Damon stepping up beside her. She looked over her shoulder toward Jeremy who gave a small wave as he stepped back up onto the porch. She took a deep breath and turned to face Damon.

"I was ready to fight you on this . . . but, suddenly every part of my body is telling me that I need to get in this car and leave you."

Damon paused, looked at the car door, then back at the woman he loves. His confusion and pain were evident on his face as he set his jaw in a firm resolve. "So, do it," he told her.

She blinked once, twice, then swallowed to try to still her pounding heart. This didn't feel right, this leaving him, when she knew she loved him and he loved her. She looked at him, and he'd closed his eyes on a sharp inhale, just slightly too long to be a mere blink. He, too, seemed to be steadying himself as the waves of doubt and need crashed over and around them both. In that moment, Elena made up her mind. If he was going to send her away, she was going to make sure he missed her, make sure he knew how she really felt. She stepped up to him and leaned up, giving him a light kiss on his full lips. She lingered only for a moment, but those few seconds spoke volumes that neither of them could verbalize.

When she stepped back and looked up into his eyes, he stared at her amazed, unsure how she could love him in the first place, much less after everything he was putting her through to satisfy his own need to be the good guy for once. He leaned in and opened the passenger side door as Bonnie started the car. She looked up at him slightly confused, but gave a small, sad smile. She wanted to reach out to him, to pull him into her arms and assure him that they would survive this—just like everything else—but somehow, she couldn't do it. She turned silently and got into the car, Damon resolutely shutting the door behind her.

* * *

He stood in the driveway watching the taillights recede into the darkness, watching his one chance at happiness slip away by his own choosing. The further away she got, the more his anger gripped his heart, and in a sudden outburst, he turned and punched through a nearby tree. The offending trunk shattered, and the canopy groaned and shuddered as the top fell to the ground next to the cabin, narrowly missing his Camaro. He pulled his hand back, shaking it from the force of the blow, and watched as the tiny cuts on his knuckles from the bark healed over. Too bad his heart wouldn't work the same way.

Meanwhile, in the car, Elena and Bonnie drove in silence, each lost in her own thoughts. Elena kept replaying Damon's words on the deck, "I'm setting you free, Elena. This is what I want—this is what will make me happy." She knew he just didn't want to take advantage of her with this sire bond issue, but how was she supposed to believe him when his words rang empty? She knew he loved her; she had known it for a long time. The more they drove, the more she realized that she still felt the same for him, despite him telling her to leave. As they approached her house, she felt a slight sense of hope creeping back into her psyche. A light smile played across her lips when she got out of the car.

"Do you want me to walk you in?" Bonnie asked.

"No, I'll be alright," Elena replied. "Sorry I was so quiet on the way back; I haven't been a very good friend. And, after all you've done—you're doing for Jeremy. . . . I just hope you two can get back to where you were; I think you're good together."

"Yeah," Bonnie paused and smiled to herself, "I think so, too." The friends said their goodbyes and Elena waved from the front porch as Bonnie drove away.

She turned the key in the lock and went into the big house alone. It felt a little strange to be there this way; she hadn't been alone in the house for more than a few hours since her parents died. Deciding to shrug off the trip down creepy memory lane, Elena locked the door behind her, and took the stairs two at a time to get to her bedroom. Once there, she laid down on the bed and pulled out her phone, deciding to text Damon to let him know she was safely where she was supposed to be.

_**-Just made it home. Feel better than when I left, and I have a secret!**_

His reply came quickly, as if he'd been waiting for her to check in. -_**Don't we all? Glad you're safe. Get some rest.**_

_**-You don't wanna know what it is?**_

_**-Not really the guessing type.**_

_**-Fine. I'll just tell you.**_

_**-You sent me away, you "set me free," but I still want you.**_ There was no response for at least two full minutes, and with every second, Elena's dread grew. Had she gone too far? She just wanted him to know how she feels. -_**Just thought you should know.**_

No sooner had her last message sent that her phone rang. She saw Damon's face on the caller ID, and picked up immediately, but then her voice failed her. She couldn't even muster a _hello_ after what she'd said.

"You can't do this to me, Elena," Damon's voice was pleading, laden with heavy emotion. She took a deep breath, and just as she was about to speak, he continued, "You can't say things like that to me. It makes me . . ."

"What, Damon? It makes you what?" Her voice was small, tired, needy.

"It doesn't matter," he sighed. "I need you to get some rest tonight. I want you to give me a little space until I can talk with Stefan and sort some things out. I want," his voice was strained, "I want you to live a happy, normal life, and I can't give you that." This last was barely audible as he barely choked out the words.

"Does it matter what I want?" Elena asked. Before he could answer, she continued, "Because I want _you_, Damon. I don't care what any sire bond says, _you_ are what makes me happy. I'm sorry if you can't see that, and I'm sorry that you think you can 'compel' me to give up on us, but it's not going to happen—even if it pisses you off that I'm trying."

"Elena," he began. He took a long, slow, deep breath and couldn't go on.

"I'll give you some time," Elena told him, "but you can be sure I won't give up. Nothing can stop me from trying to make this work. I . . . I l – love you, Damon." She realized as she said it that she had not spoken the words directly to him before now. His sharp intake of breath meant he realized that, too. She hung up and stood up to stretch.

It had been a long few days. She slowly peeled off her clothes and went to take a shower. She couldn't help but think of Damon's hands and mouth all over her body as she used her body wash to lather herself up. She imagined him standing in the doorway watching her, and though the temperature of the water was lukewarm, she was burning up by the time she stepped out and reached for her towel.

When she went to her room, she saw she'd missed a message, so she laid down on her bed and picked up the phone. It was from Damon.

_**-I love you, too. But you knew that already.**_

She quickly tapped out a reply, and in her heightened arousal, she failed to remember the space and boundaries she'd just offered him. -_**I did know that. Wanna hear something you didn't already know?**_

_**-Okay, I'll bite.**_

_**-Mmmm. Wish you would. :) **_

_**-That's not playing fair…**_

_**-I'm thinking naughty things about you right now.**_

_**-Not sure I needed to know that.**_

_**-Oh, you did. Do you want to know what they are?**_

_**-No.**_

_**-Good. I'm telling you anyway. Even though you don't want me to. Fuck that sire bond. I'm lying on my bed, naked.**_ She could only hope this would get his attention the way she wanted it. -_**I'm all alone in the house. I just got out of the shower, but I would've been wet without it.**_ She really didn't know if this was taking it too far, but she really didn't care anymore. -_**I thought I saw you standing in my bathroom doorway watching me while I showered.**_ She reached one hand down between her legs and began to gently stroke the sensitive skin at the top of her slit. -_**It got me all hot and bothered to think you might like to watch.**_

On the other end of the conversation, Damon was simply staring at his phone in wonder. He was intrigued by where her naughty thoughts were going, but more importantly, he'd flat out told her to leave him alone and to not tell him this story, and she was doing the opposite. The significance was not lost on him.

_**-I pretended it was you touching me, not the soap. Now I'm here in bed, and I'm using one hand to text you.**_ She slowly increased her rhythm. -_**The other one is occupied.**_ She began to writhe on the bed, allowing herself to give into the moment. Without stopping to think about it, she switched over to her phone's camera function. She tapped the "record" button to capture a thirty second clip of her undulations and wanton facial movements, before addressing the video to Damon's number and pressing send.

_**-Do you like that? Does it make you happy?**_ She kept at it, moving herself slowly and inexorably toward a climax that she knew wouldn't feel quite right without him there. -_**Too bad I have to do it all myself.**_


	2. Chapter 2: Release

_**A/N: Thanks so much to my reviewers from the first chapter! I enjoyed writing this brief interlude that cements Delena for good, regardless of Stefan, Caroline, Klaus or anyone else. I hope you like it! Please let me know what you think. I could end this here as a one-shot, or I could keep writing and have some lovely angst and issues to follow (par for the course with these two).**_

_**Again, I don't own anything, just trying to have some fun... Thanks for reading! I look forward to reading your reactions!  
**_

* * *

She heard a noise at her window and looked over to find him standing by the window seat. She put the phone down on the table beside her and looked over at him. His eyes had an old, familiar, mischievous glow, and she broke the silence with a desperate, "Damon!" Everything in her demeanor begged him to join her, to help her, to love her.

Seeing her there, spread open and yearning for him made what he had to do all that much more difficult, but he had to know. He had to try once more, in person, just to be sure. "Elena," he said, making sure they had strong eye contact before going on, "stop that. I don't want you to do that, Elena. It makes me unhappy to see you like this. It would make me happy if you would just turn over and go to sleep."

A slow, evil grin spread across Elena's face. She continued moving her fingertips slowly and rhythmically against herself. "No," she grinned at him. "I'm not your puppet, Damon." This last challenge was said triumphantly. She increased her speed slightly, and he just stood and watched appreciatively. She was beginning to wonder if she was imagining him there.

As the pressure grew, she threw her head back and closed her eyes. A moment later, she felt the mattress shift, and looked up to find Damon had pulled off his clothes and was climbing up next to her. He laid on his side with his head propped up, looking down at her with a twinkle in his oh-so-blue eyes. She stopped what she was doing, and began to trail her fingertips slowly up her body. "Don't stop on my account," he smirked at her.

She traced her fingers up between her breasts, backtracking to slowly circle her right nipple before continuing up her throat and into her mouth. A silvery streak of wetness followed along the path she had taken in the dim incandescent light of the room. She licked her fingertips clean, and Damon found himself mesmerized by the entire display.

"Do you know how irresistible you are?" he asked her, beginning to run his hand down the path she had just taken up her body. He, too, stopped to give particular attention to that right nipple, before lightly tracking along her stomach and ending with is long fingers reaching for that most sensitive spot.

As he made that initial contact, he brought his mouth down to cover the left nipple since it had been neglected. Elena once again threw back her head and let out a low, breathy moan. He let his tongue circle her nipple, gently, teasingly, and mirrored the motion with his finger down below. After a moment, he bit down gently, not breaking the skin, and reached two fingers deep inside her core.

She gasped and writhed beneath his touch, forgetting to breathe, to blink, to think—everything except to feel. He knew exactly what he was doing as he worked inside of her, bringing her closer to the edge with every tiny movement. She snaked one arm through the triangle of his bicep, forearm and head, wrapping her hand around the back of his neck and pulling him toward her face. He gave in and kissed her. In those few seconds, with eyes and lips locked on one another intently, they spoke a new language with words enough for a lifetime, though neither of them uttered a sound.

This was it. She knew she'd won the battle. She'd openly defied him, face-to-face, and she knew he'd never question it again. The sire bond—if it had ever really been there to begin with—was broken, and now she could get on with the rest of her life . . . with Damon by her side.

He pulled back from her and grinned. "I recognize that face," she said. "That's your happy face."

"And why wouldn't it be?" he asked with a slight roll of his eyes. "I just proved that I'm right and my idiot of a brother and his Barbie sidekick don't know their asses from a hole in the ground. And, bonus: I got the company of the lovely Ms. Gilbert, to boot!"

She giggled up at him, but then her grin turned more seductive. "Damon," she whispered his name and wrapped her other arm around his neck, "I want you."

"Ooooo," he hissed on an intake of breath. "That feeling is mutual, you little minx." With that, he swiftly positioned himself on top of her, angling himself toward her and awaiting only her word before continuing. He looked at her expectantly, the very tip end of his erection barely brushing against her outer folds.

She replied by grabbing onto his shoulders and pulling him toward her. "Please," the cry was desperate and hungry, and he was all too happy to oblige. Although he relished making slow, sweet love to her, he knew that was not what either of them needed at this moment. He pushed in quickly, deliberately, thrusting all of his weight into her with a powerful force. She opened and accepted him, even tilting her pelvis up to meet his crushing grind with equal fervor. They moved like that for a few minutes, long, hard strokes that seemed to last forever on his way out and be over too quickly on his way back in.

The longer they went, the faster his pushing became. Elena was already so worked up from her earlier exertions that she knew she wasn't going to last very long. "Oh, my God, Damon, you feel amazing!" she said through clenched teeth. She was matching his intensity move for move, and growing more and more breathless. She was losing herself in him, and she liked the way that abandon felt.

Damon was enraptured by her yet again. She never failed to surprise him, and she seemed to break down all barriers, opening everything to him for his perusal. Her breathing became more shallow and the tiny muscles inside of her began to contract ever so slightly. He leaned down into her ear and whispered, "Are you close, Elena?" He nibbled at her earlobe, "I want you to come for me." He slowed his pace, favoring depth over motion for the moment. He switched to whisper in the other ear, listening to her pant and gasp, gathering momentum for her climax. "I want you to come. right. now . . . ." he punctuated the last three words each with a powerful thrust, and on the final word, she fell over the cliff, crashing through the orgasm and gripping him closer to herself with every muscle she had, both internal and external.

Her death grip on his manhood was enough to push him over the edge with her, and he spasmed inside of her, releasing his own pent up frustration and emotion along with his seed. He lay on top of her for a moment, feeling every cell of his skin in contact with hers and reveling in the contact.

After a few minutes, he rolled gently off of her, lying on his back next to her. He opened his arms, "come here." She curled up next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. "That was incredible, Elena. You're incredible," he said completely without guile.

"Mmm," she mumbled into his chest. She took a deep breath and propped herself up to look into his eyes. "Damon," she said, suddenly serious, "I need to tell you something important. After all we've been through—all we've done, and all we've said—I haven't told you, not directly, not to your face." A brief shadow of worry crossed his face, but it would have been imperceptible to anyone who didn't know him very well. He didn't say anything, just waited for her to finish. She smiled at him and told him the best secret ever, "I love you."


	3. Chapter 3: Birds

_**A/N: Thanks so much for the many reviews! Remember, reviews = love, so tell me what I'm doing wrong and what I'm doing right. So many have requested more that I've decided to try to make this longer and add some more plot to it. This chapter's a little short, but I wanted to go ahead and get something up.**_

_**Thanks for all your kind words. I look greatly forward to having more of them in my inbox! You guys are great!**_

_**As always, I own nothing!**_

* * *

It was the birds that woke him up. He was enjoying a fantastic dream, and didn't want to leave the fantasy land where Elena had chosen _him_ despite everything against them. He didn't want to move and ruin the feel of her soft skin and the smell of her shampoo from his imagination. But the damn birds wouldn't shut up with their incessant chirping right outside the window.

_Wait a minute; there's not a tree outside my window._ The fog was lifting slowly, the dream receding like a distant memory and reality trying to chip away at its priceless veneer. _Oh, right, the lake house_. He sighed and steeled himself for the chintzy wood paneling he would see when he opened his eyes. He wanted desperately to return to his dream where Elena loved him and made love to him like a madwoman, but he knew that playtime was over.

Damon opened his eyes. It took a moment for him to realize he was _not_ still dreaming. She lay there next to him, her hair unkempt, her face a mask of peaceful satisfaction. He knew that everything had been real, and no amount of reality and daylight could take away what they'd shared the night before. He smiled and leaned over to kiss her forehead before gently getting up to take a shower.

Elena woke with the movement of the bed. She turned over and watched as he leaned to pick up his discarded clothes and head toward the bathroom. "Where do you think you're going?" she asked.

"I thought I'd take a shower."

"Does that mean you think I'm done with you?" She lowered her eyebrows and raised the corner of her mouth in a seductive smirk, "because I'm not." She sat up, letting the sheet fall free, exposing her bare chest to his scrutiny. His breath hitched in his throat, and he dropped his clothes. "Come back over here, handsome," she grinned, pulling the sheet the rest of the way off of her. "I want some more," her eyes flared a little with this last, and she ran her hand up the side of her neck and face while spreading her legs wider.

"I don't deserve you," Damon grinned, and he was on her with lightning speed. He pushed her down and entered her violently, dangerously hard and pounding. She accepted him and gave back every ounce of passion he was giving out. After a moment, she flipped him over, never losing the connection at their hips, and began to grind her hips into his. He held her hips down, pulling her against him and reaching more deeply into her. She leaned back against his light thrusts, steadying herself with her hands on his thighs, just above his knees. Her breasts were forced forward and filled up Damon's view, and her head was thrown back in ecstasy. Her long brown hair tickled his balls as she moved back and forth on top of him.

She was moaning and practically panting with the motions they made together. For the briefest of moments, he considered slowing their frantic pace to make the experience last, but then he realized that they would have an eternity to explore and try new things. He smiled at the idea of forever, and drove into her again and again and again.

She was riding the edge of her crash, and she sat up on him, her need and lust forcing her vampire nature to the fore, revealing the veins around her darkened eyes. She looked down to find that he, too, was losing himself to those urges. She lowered her body down to him, and without waiting for permission, she dug her fangs into his neck as she continued to work herself on top of him. One good thrust later, he had dug his fangs into her neck, as well. They moved that way, in unison, sharing their bodies, their blood, their souls and finally, their orgasms as they shattered together, reaching that ultimate moment of release and pleasure, giving everything of themselves to each other, leaving nothing undone or unsaid in their wordless exchange.

Gently, they pulled away from one another's necks, but Elena remained firmly on top of him, reveling in the feel of being filled up by him. Eventually, he rolled her over and pulled out of her. "I'll draw you a bath, beautiful," he said as he got up from the bed.

Elena didn't want him to leave her side, but she knew he was right. She was covered in sweat and a little blood and she knew her hair had to be a mess. She heard Damon pull back the shower curtain, and the water start in her tub. He started opening cabinets, presumably looking for towels or soaps. She took mercy on him and went to help him. She saw him leaning over the tub, testing the temperature of the water, his fantastic ass on perfect display. She walked over to the tub and saw that the water was about halfway up the sides.

"You are planning to join me in there, right?" she asked.

"I wasn't really," he admitted. "I thought I'd just watch you and attend to your every need, instead. Now, if we were in my bathroom . . . ." he trailed off with an evil grin. She knew her tub was tiny, just a standard tub/shower combo, but she thought they could manage. She looked at him, throwing out her bottom lip in an exaggerated pout. "Nope, not today. We've already put off the inevitable for too long as it is. There's a whole world out there we need to deal with."

"Oh, Damon," she sounded disappointed, "why did you have to bring reality into it?" She stepped into the tub, and had to admit the almost-too-warm water felt good against her skin. They'd gone at it like animals over the last several hours, and it was relaxing to just drift away in the water. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the wall. She was just about to doze off when she felt Damon's hands, wet with water and soap begin to lather up her body, just like in her fantasy from last night. Rather than being overtly sexual, however, it was tender and loving and full of care and concern. She allowed him to wash her, drinking in the love he exuded as hid so.

When he was done, she went to get dressed and heard him taking a quick shower. He came out in a towel, and once again, her desire flared. He sensed it and gave her a disapproving look. "Uh-uh, not now. I'm gonna grab a shirt from Jeremy's room, and then we can go."

"Go where?" Elena was curious what he might have planned for her.

"It's time to face the music;" Damon looked uncomfortable, "we have to go talk to Stefan." Damon couldn't help but notice that the birds were still singing outside of Elena's window.

* * *

_**A/N: Oh, boy. What's gonna come of this? I'm trying to stay fairly canon, so of course, D&E don't realize the conversation that Stefan's had with Caroline. They're about to face a very pissed off Stefan who doesn't understand the sire bond (or lack thereof), and doesn't *WANT* to. What's going to happen?**_


	4. Chapter 4: Homecoming

_**A/N: So, it's time to face the music. Let me know what you think of this next chapter. It's a bit longer than what I've done before, but I have a specific route I'm taking, and I can't wait for you all to join me on the journey...**_

_**Remember, reviews = love, and I love to hear what you all have to say!  
**_

_**And of course, as always, I own nothing . . . .  
**_

* * *

The ride to the boarding house was silent. Never had a trip—long or short—in Damon's beautiful blue Camaro felt so ominous. Elena had no idea what they were going to say to Stefan or how. She was hoping they could avoid the part where she'd already slept with Damon, but she had a feeling it would come up anyway. All it would take would be a heated argument between the brothers, and she knew Damon would slip that little knife in right between Stefan's ribs.

Her phone buzzed, and she saw it was Bonnie. Aiming for distraction, she answered immediately. "Hey, Bonnie. What's up?"

"Well, when Jeremy called and said Damon left, I went back out to the lake house with him. We worked some more on his control, but I wanted to warn you that you might not want to go back to your house yet. I'm sorry," she seemed a little upset.

"Why, Bonnie? What happened? I thought . . . I mean, he hugged me, and he didn't try anything with Damon or I before I left. What changed?"

"Nothing, really. He still feels that way, and can take the detour," Elena could hear the slight smile of pride in her voice at becoming Jeremy's touchpoint, "when he's awake. The trouble is that he's started sleepwalking. And last night, he staked your bed at the lake house—a lot." These last words came out in a tumbled rush, but Elena was glad to know her friend was looking out for her. "Just don't sleep in the same house as him for now until we figure out what to do."

They pulled up in front of the boarding house at that time. "Looks like I'll have to crash at Chez Salvatore a little longer, huh?" Elena asked. "But, hey, can you put any kind of wards up so he can't sleepwalk his way in here and kill all of us one night?"

"Yeah, I think so," Bonnie's wheels started turning. Her voice took a strange twist as she changed the subject, "Elena, I don't know what to do!"

"Whoa, Bonnie, what is it?"

"Shane thinks that if I . . . if I, um, stay with Jeremy, he won't sleepwalk."

"Well," Elena began, then realized what Bonnie meant, "Oh!"

"Yeah," Bonnie sighed. "And, I know it's weird for you to talk about it since he's your little brother, and it's not that I don't want to, but, um, I kind of wanted our first night together to be because we wanted it to be, you know?"

Elena was somewhat relieved to know that Jer and Bonnie hadn't sealed the deal yet, but in the same moment, felt almost hypocritical with everything she was going through right now, including the incredible sex. "He just means you need to stay with him, right? Not actually sleep with him?"

"Well, yeah, but . . . well, if I stay, I know that's where it's headed. Elena, I've never felt anything like this before. When we're together, especially now, it's like we can't keep our hands off each other." This sheepish confession didn't sting nearly as much as Elena would've expected it to.

"Bonnie, I know what you mean," Elena glanced at Damon, who was clearly listening in on the conversation. "Look, as far as I'm concerned, and if it matters, you guys have my blessing. You could use some joy in your lives after all we've been through. Far be it for me to deny you that." Damon lifted his hands, making an O with the index finger and thumb of his right hand, and poking the first finger of his left hand through the hole. He rolled his eyes back in mock ecstasy, and Elena got the point. "And, if it means you get to, you know," Elena took a deep breath, "if you get to have some really good sex, well, good! You could both use that, too."

"Elena!" Bonnie was shocked.

Not ready to explain, Elena retorted, "Look, I love you both, and if you're happy, I'm happy—no matter what it takes. I have to go, though, so, have fun." She hung up and looked at Damon, who was still making silly hand gestures and melodramatic faces. She giggled and slapped him in the chest.

"That's a very mature attitude, Ms. Gilbert," he smirked at her.

"Let's just say I'm hoping that others can be as forgiving and accepting."

"Let's just say I'm past the point of giving a fuck what they think," Damon responded. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the nose playfully. "It's right . . . right now. So, screw them!"

She knew he was right. She still wanted things to go smoothly, but deep down, she knew after everything that this was how it was supposed to be, and she didn't really care if anyone tried to stop her. Nothing could change what she felt right now.

"Okay," she resolved, "let's go." She turned and got out of the car. She realized that Stefan's car wasn't out front. She followed Damon up the stairs to the front door, and waited for him to open it and enter first.

"Honey, I'm home!" Damon's sing-song greeting rang throughout the foyer. He paused for a moment, but no sound could be heard anywhere in the place. "Looks like the coast is clear," he turned to take her bag from her and headed up the stairs.

Elena followed him into his room where he opened a dresser drawer and made room for her few things. She watched with fascination at the gentleness and care he used when dealing with her clothes and underwear. He put her shampoo and body wash on the shelf in his bathroom, and laid her teddy bear down on one of the pillows on his bed. He took off his boots, and put them in their place in the closet before sitting her down on the edge of the bed and taking her boots as well. He placed them carefully beside his own, "There, you're officially moved in!"

"Damon, don't you think I should stay in one of the spare bedrooms? At least until we talk to Stefan?"

"Listen, Elena, if you think there is a chance in hell that you're not going to spend every night with me by your side from here to eternity, you're dead wrong." She was taken aback by his sudden ferociousness. "I had to lay in this bed every night and listen to you two going at it for way too long to not have the satisfaction now of making him listen to my superior lovemaking." As he spoke, he came closer to her, pulling her up into his arms and pressing her body against his own. He put his forehead on hers, "And, by the way, I don't seem to remember your nights with him ever sounding near as fun as the ones we've had . . . ."

Elena knew he was fishing, and she decided to take the bait. She wrapped her arms around his neck, "That's because _he_ didn't know what he was doing. Oh, sure, it was good enough, we both came, and until recently, I thought that was enough." She looked up into his eyes and gently kissed him. "I didn't know what I was missing."

"Hmmm, what to do?" Damon grinned that mischievous grin she loved so much, "Stay on this topic and laugh at my baby brother's pathetic attempts to please a woman, or throw you down on this bed and show you _more_ of what you've been missing?" A low growl rolled in his chest as he covered her lips with his own.

"I vote for the latter," Elena teased, pulling him gently in that direction. He allowed some space between them, and let her pull him toward the bed. They stood at the foot of it for a moment, looking into each other's eyes, and Elena reached up slowly to the buttons of his shirt. She began to undo them carefully, savoring each inch of skin the fabric revealed. Once she'd undone the last fastener, she ran both hands flat against his body, up his stomach, over his chest and up to his shoulders, where she gently pushed the cloth down and off of his arms, letting it fall languidly to the floor.

He took all of this in in utter amazement. She was taking her time and enjoying him—enjoying them—despite the unavoidable heat rising between them. He held back and let her have her way with him, mirroring her deliberate and gradual moves. He kissed her reverently, as if she were a china doll he would break, and rubbed lightly up and down her back several times before tugging at the end of her sweater. He pulled it up and over her head, dropping it to join his shirt on the floor. He kept her arms in the air, running his hands down them, and further down her sides to come to a rest on her hips. She allowed her arms to drop around his neck once again, and she pulled him close for another tender kiss. He repeated the motion again to rid her of her camisole, again using very determined and measured actions.

The pressure mounting inside both of them threatened to take over, but Elena held it at bay. She ran her hands down the long, lean muscles of his back, allowing her fingertips to come to rest on the waist of his jeans. She traced this top edge back around to the front, snaking the ends of her fingers ever so lightly inside the denim band. He followed her lead, and did the same, playfully fondling the steel riveted button at the front. With a flick of his thumb, the button was released from its eyelet noose, and he pinched the pull of the zipper. Elena freed his button as well, and together they unzipped, one excruciating tooth at a time, until both of them stood in open jeans that barely hung on.

He kissed her again, a bit harder and more insistent this time, and began to plant a trail of kisses down her neck and chest. He threaded his fingers up around the clasp to her bra and skillfully unhooked it with one hand. He pulled away from her to remove the purple fabric from her skin, and stood admiring the view for a moment—long enough that Elena actually blushed. She looked so beautiful all pink and ruddy, and he couldn't resist her any longer. He buried his face in her chest, flicking his tongue across her nipple and massaging the other with his fingertips. As if he could sense how weak in the knees she became at his touch, he lifted her and laid her down on the bed, almost straddling her, still luxuriating in the sight and feel of her. He tugged on her jeans and pulled them off along with some beautiful matching lacy purple panties. He'd have to get a better look at those later. She lay there on the center of his giant bed, unashamed and ready, begging for his touch without saying a word.

He stood back on the floor by the foot of the bed and pushed his own jeans down to the floor. His erection was aching to get at her, but he made himself remain calm and steady; it wasn't time yet. He watched her watching him, and it was a major turn on. He waited there for a moment, until she started to wriggle a bit on the bed. He grabbed her thighs and pulled her to the edge of the mattress, settling himself on his knees on the floor between her legs. He extended his tongue and ran it gently up the inside of her thigh, culminating with a light brush of her lower lips. She shuddered and bucked a bit, but he continued his careful barrage, beginning again at the end of the other thigh and ending up in the same spot.

She moaned at this exquisite torture, and grabbed at his curly black locks. He popped up where he could just see her face over the expanse of her body, "Do you want this, Elena?" Unable to find the words, she simply nodded and urged his head forward with her hands. He resisted and teased her, "I need to hear you say it. Say you want me, Elena. Beg for it." His breath tickled at her, and she gasped in reply.

"Yes, Damon! Please, I want it. I want you!" Her response was enough to drive a less-controlled man mad. He clamped his mouth onto her and began to suck, playing at her clit with his tongue. She writhed and churned under his tender ministrations, and he took his time to make sure she felt every motion he made. She was gasping for air and grasping at the sheets, and he stopped, looking at her once again over her body.

She could barely open her eyes to meet his. "Ready?" She nodded insanely, and he pushed her further back on the bed, climbing up to join her. She closed her eyes and threw back her head, opening every part of herself to his upcoming onslaught. He entered her haltingly, inch by glorious inch, feeling every part of her and letting her feel every part of him.

Their eyes met and locked as the inexorable journey toward release began. Their rhythm was languid and lingering, each stroke an experience in itself. Elena lost herself in him once again.

Suddenly, the door to his room flew open, and before either of them knew what was happening, Damon flew across the room into the mirror, shattering it into a million tiny pieces and scraping and cutting his back and side as he hit and landed in the shards.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Stefan was standing between Damon's already healing body and Elena. "I'll kill you!"

* * *

_**A/N: Uh-oh! What's next? I'll try to get it up by tomorrow night, but we have company coming over, so I'm making no guarantees. Thanks for continuing to read and review!  
**_


	5. Chapter 5: Assertion

_**A/N: So sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter up; we had company for New Year's that lasted a couple of days, and then spent a day taking care of some family business. I know I left you hanging there with Stefan bursting into the room, but I just simply could not get to my computer to sit and write. **_

_**Once again, I ask, please read and review! Remember that reviews = love, and that's all any of us really want, right? Love that consumes us? :-J  
**_

_**Anyway, let me know what you think. I have some ideas for upcoming chapters, and I'm going to try to get as much of it as possible done before school starts up again, but with my crazy life, I make no absolute promises.  
**_

_**Thanks for sticking with me!  
**_

_**Gizli  
**_

* * *

Elena almost didn't realize what was happening; she just felt a rush of cool air over her body where Damon had been moments earlier. She sat up and saw the rage on Stefan's face as he moved toward his brother to beat him some more. This was _so_ not the way she wanted Stefan to find out just how far her relationship with Damon had gone.

Damon, however, saw Stefan coming back for more. He was up off the floor and charging at his brother before Stefan could attack him again. He lunged at Stefan, all the while growling in a violent and threatening way.

Damon knocked Stefan back into the large dresser on the opposite wall, splintering the antique wood with the force of the impact. Not to be outdone, Stefan fought back and punched Damon square in the jaw, reveling in the feel of the bones breaking beneath his blow. Damon retaliated with three quick jabs in the ribs, returning the favor and fracturing at least two of them. Stefan dodged the next blow and tackled Damon, rolling with him across the Persian rug. The two exchanged a few more blows before Damon finally pinned Stefan to the ground, one arm firmly planted across Stefan's windpipe. "What the hell has gotten into you, _Brother_?!"

"You're taking advantage of her! You were supposed to release her! Leave! Let her go back to being who she was! How the hell can I start to fix her if you've got her so busy fucking her?" Stefan was insane with his anger.

In an instant, before Damon could even respond, Elena was on her feet, standing over the struggling pair. Her eyes had gone black, and her vampiric nature was exposed on her face. "I don't need to be _fixed_, Stefan!" She knelt down, making sure he could see every inch of her naked and needing body. "I _want_ to be with Damon, and nothing you or anyone else does will ever stop me." She had lowered her voice to barely above a whisper, the tone evoking all the danger and power coiled in her limbs.

"You just think that, Elena. It's the sire bond," Stefan was no longer struggling against Damon's grip, but his mental struggle was palpable in the room.

"The bond is broken, Stefan," Elena's words were tight, controlled. "He set me free, and I came back to him."

"Then he didn't do it right." Stefan was desperate to explain away Damon and Elena's connection.

Damon let up from Stefan, sensing that his murderous intent had subsided a bit. "She's right," Damon said. "I can't tell her what to do any more. Elena," he looked at her, making sure he held her eyes, "I want you to get dressed. I think I'd be much happier if my brother didn't get the joy of seeing you in all your glory anymore."

She looked at him, understanding his innuendo perfectly. "No, Damon. You know as well as I do that he's seen it all before, and I'm not leaving this room until we figure this thing out."

Stefan seemed awestruck, and for the first time, he began to slowly admit to himself that there may really be something here.

"You're just hurting both of us by sitting there like that. I really want you to put some clothes on. At least grab my shirt for now."

"Damon," Elena was firm, but exasperated, "This is not the time to be discussing this. Clearly, Stefan is having some issues. We need to make sure he's okay . . . make sure he won't go all . . ."

"Ripper?" Stefan finished for her. "I'm fine. The only person I have the urge to kill right now is Damon, but I guess I was wrong about that, too." Both Damon and Elena breathed a light sigh of relief, and all three sat up against the footboard, taking a moment to gather themselves. Once everyone's heart rate and breathing had returned to normal, Stefan couldn't avoid the one burning question on his mind, "How long? How long has this been going on?"

"What do you mean? How long have I loved her? For eternity, brother, but you knew that already." Elena's heart warmed at his words.

Stefan's disdain was beginning to build again, "You know good and goddamn well what I mean, Damon! How long have you been fucking my girlfriend?"

"Jesus Christ, Stefan! I'm not your girlfriend anymore. You have no claim to me. I can _fuck_ whoever I damn well please, and you have no right to say anything about it. After all the _shit_ you've put me through, you claim you still love me? Fine. Then love me like a real man loves, and let me have what makes me happy. I can't think about forever right now, but for now, for today and the immediate foreseeable future, what makes me happy is Damon. It took me way too long to admit that to myself, and to admit that to you, but he's _it_ for me right now, and not you, not anybody is going to make me give that up. I'm not broken, Stefan. I don't need to be fixed. The only thing I need from you is some space."

Stefan's skin stung as though he'd be physically slapped. Elena's words hurt, but they hit home. Did he really love her enough to let her go? Did he want her to be happy, or was it only if it was happy with him. He opened his mouth to speak, but Damon cut him off.

"Elena's changed, Stefan. So have I. Hell, so have you. None of us are the same person we were even a year ago. You left her, brother. You left her high and dry with little to no _reasonable_ explanation, and yet you seem amazed that she forgot the Stefan she fell in love with. You're not that guy anymore. And she's not that girl. She's amazing and beautiful and more alive than she ever was before . . . well, before she died. And she's strong, Stefan. So strong! She can handle anything life throws at her, and for my part, I intend to be here to help her do it. She may not be able to talk about forever, but I can. And, I can assure you, she's my forever."

Stefan knew he was defeated. He hung his head, and took a deep breath. Very slowly, he stood up. "Fine. If that's the way it has to be, I'll go. I can't watch the two of you together, so I'll leave town. But before I do, there's just one more thing," he turned around to face the two, who were now getting up themselves. With uncanny speed, Stefan reached up to the post of Damon's bed, pulled off a piece of the wood trim, and buried it deep in Damon's torso.

"Damon!" Elena's scream was frantic and ear-splitting. As Stefan sped out of the room, she rushed to Damon's side just in time to watch him crumple to the floor.


End file.
